Dario Argento Panico

[Tarquin]

The subtitles are awful on this one, I can't speak Italian but I know that person flat out didn't say that.

Interesting stuff though. Attempted suicide before most films and puts a cupboard up to the window. The stalkers. Does skip over his most dreadful films. I like how they flat out asked people why his films went to shit after Opera and everyone gives a different reason (bar Gasper Noe who likes the later stuff more as he's the edgy guy at your school). Asia reveals the most. But I could listen to Del Toro talking about movies for the rest of my life.

Yeah I'll give Inferno another go - so it worked. Tempted to check out The Stendhal Syndrome too and even The Mother of Tears.

[Magnum Valentino]

Same, I bought Vampyr on disc just to listen to Del Toro's commentary track.

[greenman]

Really though his career was a pretty close reflection of the whole Italian pulp film industry was it not? some of it lasted a bit longer with the likes of Cemetery Man but really I think your dealing with both an aging crop of directors and a declining level of funding for films which always sold themselves heavily on production design, soundtrack and how they were shot.

[Tarquin]

Really though his career was a pretty close reflection of the whole Italian pulp film industry was it not? some of it lasted a bit longer with the likes of Cemetery Man but really I think your dealing with both an aging crop of directors and a declining level of funding for films which always sold themselves heavily on production design, soundtrack and how they were shot.

That's exactly how one of his colleagues states the decline. Asia says it was down to his Dad and producer, Salvatore, dying. And someone else says it was just Hollywood sticking their oar in and "notes". All three together I suppose.

[phantom_power]

I am trying to think of who would constitute the wave of horror film-makers after Argento and co. and all I can think of is Michelle Suavi. I did think of Lamberto Bava but he is pretty much the same generation as Dario

[Tarquin]

Bava is featured heavily in the doc as he was his protege from Inferno on. He offers the view that Dario's films fell of a cliff due to post-Susperia's success they became American co-productions.

I went towards Aria's view more that his Dad was his muse, and producer, and after his death he gave up.

Currently trying to track down his Italian TV show as that sounded both fascinating and was from his peak years.

[Egyptian Feast]

Currently trying to track down his Italian TV show as that sounded both fascinating and was from his peak years.

Is that Doors Into Darkness? If you have no luck, I have both of the episodes Argento directed, though the downloads are ancient and may have been superseded by better quality versions since.

[johnnyhandsome]

Didn't know about this - thanks for the heads up. Despite his flops, and despite being a  huge nepobaby, Argento still has the best filmography of the Italian horror guys for me.

[thenoise]

Tempted to check out The Stendhal Syndrome too and even The Mother of Tears.

Stendhal Syndrome is pretty decent. Opening is amazing and insane/surreal, and the strange change of pace/genre half way through is a bold move. It hangs very heavily on Asia's acting, though for me she does pull it off.

Mother of Tears is terrible (although in quite a fun way). My expectations have lowered so much now I even enjoyed him butchering the likes of Phantom of the Opera and Dracula, classic gothic literary works reduced to bad CGI, hammy dubbing and tasteless gore. Wouldn't be disappointed if he never made anything again though.

[Rev+]

Stendhal Syndrome is pretty decent. Opening is amazing and insane/surreal, and the strange change of pace/genre half way through is a bold move. It hangs very heavily on Asia's acting, though for me she does pull it off.

Yeah, I avoided it for years as I assumed it would be a honker, purely because it came out in the 90s.  It's not a return to form, but it's reasonably solid.  The sequel, though?  Fuck me.  Maybe worth a shot just to see how he thinks poker is played, mind - no Dario, you can't see your opponent's cards the whole time.

[thenoise]

The Card Player is a sequel to Stendahl Syndrome? Well that's my hat fucked. Haven't seen it though probably will when it shows up on Prime for free.

Should point out I've only seen the heavily cut ancient UK DVD of Stendahl Syndrome, where the rape/murder scene is limited to a few seconds and largely implied. Not sure how nasty it gets in the full version (I am guessing very).

[dontpaintyourteeth]

The Card Player is a sequel to Stendahl Syndrome? Well that's my hat fucked. Haven't seen it though probably will when it shows up on Prime for free.

Should point out I've only seen the heavily cut ancient UK DVD of Stendahl Syndrome, where the rape/murder scene is limited to a few seconds and largely implied. Not sure how nasty it gets in the full version (I am guessing very).

Is that the Arrow one? That's the only one I've seen. Can't remember an awful lot about it besides thinking it was pretty bad

[Rev+]

The Card Player is a sequel to Stendahl Syndrome? Well that's my hat fucked. Haven't seen it though probably will when it shows up on Prime for free.

It's a semi-detached sequel.  I think the original idea was to make it quite quickly after Stendahl Syndrome, but by the time he got round to it Asia either wasn't up for it or had something else booked, so another actress took the lead.  Had to look it up, but the character's name has a radical change from Anna Manni in the first film to Anna Mari in the second.

Seriously, even if it's free, though.

[Glebe]

The Smiths consider Italian rewrite.

[thenoise]

Is that the Arrow one? That's the only one I've seen. Can't remember an awful lot about it besides thinking it was pretty bad

Err, 'Marquee'. Was one of the first Argentos on UK dvd. Around the time of the dreadful Nouveaux Pictures DVD of Suspiria and the (cut) DVD of Tenebrae where the lady's throat cut has been covered up with a pretty red bow. You nowadays Argento fans don't know how lucky you are!

[Tarquin]

Gave Inferno anoher go. So much better than my VHS rental - not being hevily cut and pan and scan (also knowing from the doc those aren't real cats).

Best scene is Hot Dog Stall man's intervention.

Seeing Valli from The Third Man was deeply strange.

Keith Emerson's music is horrible. Such a weird thing, like Jimmy Page scoring Death Wish 2. Just use Verdi stock music?

Off to the next Ma. Kim Newman says, "like waiting 20 years for a follow up to The Empire Striekes Back and getting Attack of the Clones."

[phantom_power]

Err, 'Marquee'. Was one of the first Argentos on UK dvd. Around the time of the dreadful Nouveaux Pictures DVD of Suspiria and the (cut) DVD of Tenebrae where the lady's throat cut has been covered up with a pretty red bow. You nowadays Argento fans don't know how lucky you are!

I remember reading Fangoria in the late 80s and things like an uncut Suspiria and Opera were like magical dreams that we would never be able to see. That only got worse in the early 90s when even Reservoir Dogs was causing the BBFC to have a shit fit. Amazing to think now all the films that are now completely uncut on Blu-Ray

[phantom_power]

I am halfway through Stendhal Syndrome and I am finding it odd and off-putting that he cast his daughter in the lead role, and that so far the main character is such a passive victim

[Tarquin]

I am halfway through Stendhal Syndrome and I am finding it odd and off-putting that he cast his daughter in the lead role, and that so far the main character is such a passive victim

In the documentary Asia says that on the day of the main sex scene her grandmother turned up on set to watch her son and grand-daughter making a film together.